Clutching Cupcake

Happy Mother's Day to all those who mother (not limited to those with children!) out there...hope you had a wonderful weekend.

My kids and I have a new tradition (our third year, going strong) that we run the Chuy's Hot to Trot Kid's K together each year. Saturday morning the kids were up early, shoveling chocolate chip pancakes (pre-race breakfast request), drinking Gatorade and talking big. It was a mad scramble to get three little runners and one mommy runner ready and out the door on time...we searched for matching shoes, socks that don't "slide down" and enough safety pins for all the numbers. We made it there, got parked and got to the start line a couple minutes before the Kids K began. Our warm up is our hustle from the car!

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Luke took off on his own, and we were able to cheer him on as he lapped us after rounding the far cone. Grace wanted to run holding hands on one side, and clutching her stuffed cat "cupcake" with the other hand. She smiled, with her trademark crater-sized dimple, the entire way...ponytail flying behind her. Bella wanted to run just ahead of us, but she hates crowds, so she spent most of the race running forwards and looking backwards, to make sure we were right behind her. That was, of course, until the very end, when she had to show us up with her atomic burst of speed across the finish line. Luke was waiting, with his 7 year old toothy grin, already wearing his finisher's medal. The girls got their medals and we wandered off to get water and bananas.

One of the finest things about this particular race, that I discovered just this year, is that there is childcare available in Hula Hut restaurant...a novel idea for runner parents! You check your kids in like a coat check, get a number that matches their numbers, and off you go. I had time to register, hit the port-a-potty, and run the 5K, meanwhile my kids watched a movie, ate Krispy Kreme doughnuts and got fake tattoos. A great morning for all of us, needless to say.

I had total start line nerves, heart pounding like a rookie...not sure if I am more intimidated by a 5K, or if I am simply unaccustomed to doing an unplanned race. It would probably serve me well to do more unplanned things in general, now that I think about it. Anyway, I thought I was trying really hard, breathing heavy, trudging up the hills, doing okay out there on my own. I was happy with my time, until later I laughed when I realized that I ran the same pace at my last half-marathon! Why did it feel so much harder???? It's not like I haven't been training, doing long runs, doing speedwork, running hills. Really, it's perplexing. I guess I can relax and find my stride when I have more time. 5K is just enough time for me to stress out and wear out. Live and learn, I guess I'm a long haul kind of girl. Either that or my fast friends have become a crutch of unhealthy proportions. Maybe it's good to run alone once in a while, just for the opportunity to fend for yourself.

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Sunday morning, Mother's Day morning, I was up early (5:30) so I could meet Paige at 6 and start Mother's Day in my favorite fashion...a long run with my best friend (thanks to my brother Jon for manning the fort, love you!). Luke was AWAKE, waiting for me to wake up, so he could see me when I saw the pile the of gifts he snuck in and placed on my bedside table. He was so cute, he made me a book (which of course brought me to tears) and bought me some treats in his school store. I hugged him as long as he would allow, and convinced him to go back to sleep in my bed while I ran, and I would wake him up when I got back. The morning could not have been better. Our run passed by in a blur, how can an hour and a half feel like 15 minutes? (An odd comparison to the 23 minutes that felt like an hour and a half just the day before! ha! )We talked non-stop and ended our run by praying for our children and our families. Then it was home to the kids, shower, church and a special day planned by my Dad, my brother and my kids. I will carry the feelings of this weekend with me for a long time.

I hope all of you had a chance to appreciate and be appreciated.

Katharine Hepburn said it well, "Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, only with what you are expected to give...which is everything." May we all love and be loved this way.

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